Postal Inspectors: Be Careful Buying Vacation Packages

MILWAUKEE, WI -- Recent Triad temperatures have been in the 70s, in December! That's great. But cold temperatures on the way may make you want to fly south for the winter. But U.S. Postal Inspectors warn not to be lured by cheap travel packages by telemarketers.

Imagine finding a travel package to Florida for $300 or the Bahamas for $500. U.S Postal Inspector Brian Haraway said, "These packages were deeply discounted. Normally, trips like these would cost around $1,000 or so..."

What sounded too good to be true was too good to be true.

Haraway said, "There were many instances where victims found out just one or two days before that there were no travel packages and they were deeply disappointed."

In fact, in this case, more than 24,000 bogus travel packages were sold nationwide. Total losses amounted to more than $12 million.

Haraway said, "There was another instance where families had planned a family reunion and they found out there was no packages and it affected the entire family."

Postal inspectors began tracking numerous complaints and placed the business under surveillance. They searched the business and were able to find the victims.

The company shut down. The main suspect in the case was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of over 167-thousand dollars.